


Vulnerabilities

by TsarinaTorment



Series: Drabbles [4]
Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Drabbles, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-18
Updated: 2014-10-30
Packaged: 2018-01-09 04:55:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 91
Words: 9,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1141683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TsarinaTorment/pseuds/TsarinaTorment
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of 100-word drabbles centred around various themes and characters</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Beginning (Bilbo)

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He saw it all"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

Hobbit-folk are quite fond of stories. However, they prefer to read them, not live through them, which is what one unfortunate Hobbit started, for his younger cousins to finish. Although one could say he also finished it. He was there, from the riddle game with that pitiful creature under the mountains to the council that sealed his cousin's fate, and there at the end when the poor young Hobbit came back, horrifically scarred in mind, and almost as much in body. He hated it, hated that it had been his fate to see it all. Yes, he saw it all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts are welcome (Theme, Character, Prompt) - no OCs please!
> 
> Tsari


	2. Crown (Legolas)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He didn't want it"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

The thing with being an elven prince was that the chance of gaining the kingship was highly unlikely, unless one's father abdicated. Certainly, immortality dictated that as the main cause of change, the only change the Sindar would willingly accept. The other methods were too horrendous to even bear thought to. The death of a leader was a great loss, only occurring in battles and wars. It was how his grandsire had passed the throne to his sire and would one day be the way it would pass to him. But if that was the price, he didn't want it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts are welcome (Theme, Character, Prompt) - no OCs please!
> 
> Tsari


	3. Journey (Frodo)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He lived through it"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

It wasn't easy, but then again no-one ever said it would be. He didn't want to endanger anyone else, but he found himself grateful when companions were forced upon him by their own stubbornness and a certain wizard. More companions joined him – an elf prince, a loyal dwarf and two men of noble standing. With their help he faced orcs, a creature of fire, the servants of his enemy and a spider, to name but a few. Even now, years later and in the Elf Haven he thinks back in sorrow to those that died while he lived through it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Aria Breuer from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	4. Temptation (Boromir)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Loyalty killed him"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

All he wanted was to keep his land safe. Inheritance made it his responsibility to find a way to drive back the evil once and for all, but they were always overrun, and their cities fell as quickly as they could reclaim them. Then he was shown such a small, seemingly insignificant, item held by a small, seemingly insignificant, Halfling and the world as he knew it changed. There was salvation, bound into gold and held on a chain. A salvation the others wanted to destroy – didn't they understand? But they did, as he learnt when his loyalty killed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts are welcome (Theme, Character, Prompt) - no OCs please!
> 
> Tsari


	5. Friendship (Gimli)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He chose it"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

Ever since his father's unpleasant experience with the elves of Mirkwood, he'd learnt to scorn them; to uphold his family's honour. At first he thought that the pointy-eared elvish princeling he was unwillingly sent on a journey with was the same as his father: arrogant and cruel. It was only when their leader fell and he experienced the true hospitality of the elves that his views began to change, and he spotted the differences between his companion and his father's jailer. Looking back, he couldn't remember who reached out a hand first, but he did know that he chose it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Aria Breuer from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	6. Desperation (Denethor)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Better than nothing"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

When his wife died, part of his heart emptied, never to be refilled. His sons tried, of course they did – it was their duty – but it hurt too much, especially his younger, so he began to treat them as nothing more than leaders within his army. He was short leaders; the ongoing battles against the spawn of Mordor made sure of that. He watched everyone – friend and foe – from his tower using his secret. The last straw for him was when his sons went to war not to return. He felt only one emotion, but it was better than nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Peppery Mints from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	7. Loyalty (Sam)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "To the very end"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

Ever since he started spying (eavesdropping, the wizard said), he knew that he'd follow his master on the rather dangerous and scary sounding adventure. He said it was so he could go see the elves, but it ran far deeper than that. His father had been gardener before him; his family had always worked for them and that wasn't about to change just because of some fancy (evil) ring that had been brought back from an adventure (he didn't like adventures). No, someone had to go and make sure his master was looked after, properly, right to the very end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	8. Foolish (Gríma)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "To bring about the fall of men"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

He viewed his own race with scorn, even himself. Once he'd fallen for the silver tongue of his then master (true master, not that decrepit old horse man), obeying his every whim to bring about the new age that he proclaimed so much. Looking back on his choices now, he hated himself more than anyone else for being so naïve, so trusting. He'd been used, willingly, yes, and that made it a hundred times worse. He'd watched the creation of those monsters, by the monster that was his own master, whose aim was to bring about the fall of men.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	9. Bravery (Éowyn)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "To fight for her people"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

As she once said to that handsome, rugged ranger that was actually Isildur's heir, the only thing she feared was a cage. Pain and death were things she had become acquainted with quickly, shield maiden as she was. The penultimate battle for their freedom was one she knew that she could never miss, but her uncle had other ideas. She cared for the safe house, watching as the men passed (her men) – many never to return and others to win renown. But nothing would stop her as she donned the helmet and alias of Dernhelm to fight for her people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	10. Country (Éomer)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Protector of men and horses"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

His uncle was under the influence of that foul wizard that claimed to be their friend and ally. He couldn't stand it; stand to watch his people suffer under a puppet king's rule as the puppeteer directed orcs to devastation with one hand as he restrained the king with the other. The last straw was the death of his cousin, heir to the throne and more like his beloved brother than anything else. He confronted the man behind the mask and was banished for his troubles, but he could manage provided he was still a protector of men and horses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Aria Breuer from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	11. Trees (Treebeard)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "A shepherd among them"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

They made his home what it was, and in return he and his fellows protected them. While their female equivalents had left a long time ago and the forest no longer rang with their laughter he maintained his duty with vigour, talking to them as individuals and taking the painstaking time to learn all of their different personalities. Then the white wizard broke his word, turned on them and used their charges as nothing more than mere firewood; a trait he passed to his foul slaves. But he would stand tall and fight, for he was a shepherd among them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Aria Breuer from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	12. Forgiveness (Denethor)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Blind man"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

Power was an exhilarating feeling, he discovered when his father passed away and he took up the mantle. It consumed you and made you ignorant of those less fortunate than yourself, as he found to his cost when his teachings drove his eldest son to his death. His youngest son pleaded that he would go and in hindsight he realised that, if he had permitted him to instead, he would still have both his sons, instead of neither – one fallen in the quest to gain a Ring, the other to please his father. Power had made him a blind man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Llaelas from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	13. Laughter (Bergil)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Any way to help"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

War was terrifying. He was torn between wanting to flee with the women, and staying to fight. But his father would be disappointed if he fled, so he and his friends joked around, making it seem like nothing scared them. He soon noticed that his father, and the other members of the guard, welcomed the light-hearted temperament, even if everyone knew it was just an act. He was too young to actually fight – still a boy in that respect – but he was old enough to want to defend his city from within, so he looked for any way to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks toPeppery Mints from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	14. Cousins (Merry)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He needed them"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

One was younger, and one was older, and a third was not technically family but after everything they went through together he may as well have been. Being a Hobbit, he naturally had a large family, and after the Scouring it seemed that everyone wanted to find some family connection to the Tooks or the Brandybucks (and to a lesser extent the Gamgees and the Bagginses). But when it came down to it, there were only two (three if you counted their other adventuring companion) that he really, truly cared for. They'd been there for him, and he needed them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Aria Breuer from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	15. Alone (Pippin)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Time to grow up"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

Life took a nasty turn for him when he was drawn to the seeing-stone, inadvertently revealing himself to their enemy. He was bundled off the giant white city full of men where Hobbits were out of their depth as he ended up in service to the Steward, wearing a uniform that was far too big for him and expected to give his life in the defence of the city. He didn't want to die there, so far away from his home, and his travelling-companions-turned-friends who had risked everything to save him. Maybe, he realised, it was time to grow up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Aria Breuer from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	16. Steward (Faramir)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Loyalty to his country"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

The moment he was lucid enough to be informed that his father was dead, he knew that there was a large weight settling on his shoulders – a fate he had never expected what with his charismatic older brother and seemingly-immortal father (who didn't think that about their own parents?). He thought he wasn't ready, but relief occurred in the return of the rightful king and so his title was just that; a title that meant things only in ceremony. But everyone else was sure that he could do it, so he would prove it, prove his loyalty to his country.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Aria Breuer from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	17. Regret (Elrond)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He could have ended it sooner"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

He watched his adoptive son grow up, the man destined for greatness hiding amongst the elves due to the actions of his forebear. But it wouldn't be fair just to blame the human, for the elves themselves were far from innocent, himself perhaps the least so as he failed to convince the young king to resist the pull of power the ring promised in return for surviving and sparing it. Soon young hope wasn't the only one pulled into the world of darkness, the innocent periannath following suit, cursing him with the knowledge that he could have ended it sooner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	18. Wicked (Sauron)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Just wants to watch the world burn"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DIsclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

Evil was always far more tempting than the light. This was something he had learnt years ago under his now-deceased master and he followed its teachings with the joy of a madman. The elves themselves couldn't stand against him, even when the men allied with them, and he endured due to the weakness of their hearts. His faithful servants, too – nine of the most powerful men to ever walk the world who now stayed shrouded in shadows – follow his every order, their minds clouded beyond repair and once again resurrected, even though he just wants to watch the world burn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	19. Protective (Haldir)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "To protect his family and people"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

Failing at the last hurdle during the Last Alliance – failing to destroy the power source – would haunt him for years. To begin with, there was the relief that it was over and the peoples of Middle Earth were finally free of his tyranny, but then the Shadow fell over Greenwood, transforming it into Mirkwood as his fellow elves had to fight each day for their place in the forest they once ruled. Imladris and Lórien were better at defending themselves from the evil; a defence he threw himself into, and would eventually die for, to protect his family and people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	20. Pitiful (Sméagol)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The ring consumed him"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

The pretty trinket his fellow found fishing one day drew him to it, so much that he murdered for it. The disgust of what he had done never hit him, even back then he was completely under its enchanting spell. Exile faced him when his crime was revealed and he soon found refuge under the mountains, deep within their roots where he riddled with himself and ate food raw, having long since forgotten anything about cooking, or even basic self-care. He changed, over a time period he shouldn't have survived, and not for the better as the ring consumed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	21. Duty (Aragorn)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Taking his oath"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

He'd spent his whole life running away. Of course, the death of his parents when he was very young and adoption by the elves helped him ignore his destiny, and the throne that awaited him in the citadel of the white city, near the borders of the black lands. But the elves never truly let him run. They called him Hope, a constant reminder of what was expected of him, and pushed him forwards, re-forging the broken sword in yet another reminder of his heritage. His ancestry caught him eventually and so here he was, crowned and taking his oath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Aria Breuer from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	22. Loss (Frodo)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He became quieter"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

He was never a particularly noisy Hobbit, at least, not compared to some of his relatives. A rascal and a mushroom thief, yes, but never that loud. But then a small, seemingly-innocent gold ring came into his inheritance as he lost his uncle to the elves and his life changed, arguably not for the better. First to fall was the one they called the Grey Pilgrim, lost in the mines against a beast of fire, soon to be followed by the loyal man of Gondor. Over the course of the quest he became quieter, by the end he rarely spoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Aria Breuer from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	23. Hasty (Quickbeam)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Start a conversation"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

He'd gained his nickname for interrupting an elder, a thing unheard of in his species. Not because it was disrespectful (he'd merely answered before the question had been completed) but because it was so fast. Having since met the young Hobbits, he realised that he was still oh so slow compared to them, but the tree herders lived for such a long time, while their lives would come and go in the blink of an eye. Still, Fangorn himself had decided that he was the best match for them, being the only Ent that would ever willingly start a conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Aria Breuer from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	24. Hope (Aragorn)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "When all seemed lost"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

After the failed negotiations with the dark lieutenant they were faced with an all-out battle against all the Black Land's forces. He didn't expect to survive and, looking around, he saw that it was a sentiment shared by all his companions. It didn't stop the young Hobbit throwing himself at a troll, or the graceful elf culling any foul beast that came near him while the stocky dwarf insisted on keeping up the kill tally they'd started what seemed like an age ago. But his name was Estel and that meant that he'd keep fighting, even when all seemed lost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Hope'sFace from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	25. Faith (Arwen)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "When no-one else believed"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

The first time she saw him, she fell in love – a feeling reciprocated, to her joy. There was one problem; he was a mortal – a man destined to die. Her brothers laughed, but she could tell that while they loved Estel as a brother they didn't want to see her waste away. Her father tried to convince her that she was better off leaving for the Undying Lands with most of their kin. She couldn't understand why he didn't think they could work it out, but never got a straight answer. That was their low point, when no-one else believed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Hope'sFace from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	26. Last (Merry)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Left behind"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

His older cousin was the first to depart the company, heading for the heart of evil, accompanied by the loyal gardener while he waited to be rescued. Then the younger fell to temptation and the wizard whisked him away to the white city to protect him, leaving him in the company of the horse lords. The man, the elf and the dwarf all went to visit the dead and again he had to stay back with the horses. When the king tried to keep him back he went anyway, assisted by a lady, as they refused to be left behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Aria Breuer from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	27. Defender (Fredegar)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "For his country"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

He was supposed to go with his fellow Hobbits, but stories of the forest they'd have to pass through changed his mind. No, he would stay behind and guard the passage they took from the Black Riders. True, he'd underestimated the fear they'd bring – but he didn't regret it for a moment. While fellow Hobbits were gallivanting off far from home on a dreaded adventure he stayed behind to make sure they had somewhere to return to. The Men tried to overrun his home and he fought back; his imprisonment meant little if he could do something for his country.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Aria Breuer from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	28. Pimple (Lotho)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "To the last breath"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

Hobbits, normally easy-going by nature, always seemed to have something against him. So did fate. When that rascal of an adventurous Hobbit finally left – and good riddance – the comfy hole that was rightfully his went to some young upstart not even from Hobbiton. He finally got it, in the end, when the younger Hobbit moved back to where he belonged with the other strange river lovers. Then a pair of beggars turned up as he took leadership of the Hobbits and wanted it. He never realised they'd hold him to his oath – that it was his to the last breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Aria Breuer from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	29. Observe (Galadriel)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Full circle"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

Born before the start of the Ages, she saw her house, the Noldor, fall into the bane that was kinslaying and in her pride she insisted on remaining away from the Valar as she settled with her lord in Lórien. From there she watched as the elves slowly gave way to men, tricked as they were by the fair Maia that was the second dark lord, and then as the seemingly-insignificant Perianneth were revealed to the world as heroes. Her time finally came and she and other ringbearers set sail, heading back to her roots and completing the full circle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to fantasychica37 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	30. Companions (Pippin)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Inseparable"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

Young and loud as he was, he was never short of friends, particularly his two favourite cousins. Adventurous Took or not, while he was content to go on short journeys still within The Shire, but no further. But there was no way he would let his cousins run off without him when the opportunity presented itself. He was drawn into a world of war and danger, a world far too big for him where he lost his friends – all three of them at one point or another, but they managed to find their way back together, because they were inseparable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Aria Breuer from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	31. Evergreen (Elrond)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "His love for his daughter"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

Their people called her the evening star and it was obvious why. Her beauty was such that even the Lady of Lórien's did not quite compare and she was young, born as their race waned and prepared to depart for the eternal shores. But whether their race was waxing or waning, it meant little to him as she fell in love with a mortal and sealed her own fate. He tried to talk her out of it, as did the man, but she was stubborn and in the end he let her stay, because of his love for his daughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Hope'sFace from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	32. Competence (Imrahil)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He knew she was alive"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

The Battle of Pelennor Fields was devastating on so many levels and it tugged at his heart to see the dead and dying forms of his allies on the ground, surrounded by the filth of Mordor. He saw the poor Rohirrim parading their dead King, fallen to the Witch King that lead the Nazgûl, and the vision behind. It was touching that even the shield maidens of the Horse Lords had come to their aid, even just the one. But when he brought his head close to her he knew something the other men missed: he knew she was alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Alex Hollister from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	33. Strength (Halbarad)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Until his last breath"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

His beloved leader – the king in waiting – asked him to look after the little folk in their own world, away from conflict. It was a peaceful existence for them, and all the rangers wanted to preserve their innocence as best they could. He'd watch them from his station, hidden from their eyes but still in plain sight as rangers were wont to do, as he lightly gripped the hilt of his sword or fiddled with the fletching on his arrows. His captain had asked him to look after the child-sized peoples and so he would do, until his last breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Aria Breuer from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	34. Patience (Rosie)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Finally they could be together"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

The young Hobbit never seen without either gardening shears or ale in his hand caught her attention at a young age, and she his. But they were young – too young – and both had jobs to keep up. Settling down would have to wait. Then he left, with an extremely unsatisfactory goodbye, and she wondered if she'd ever see him again. The Big Folk came and tried to ruin their home and she wanted him to play the hero, even if it wasn't in his nature. But he did; he returned to her, rallying their people. Finally, they could be together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts are welcome (Theme, Character, Prompt) - no OCs please!
> 
> Tsari


	35. Meat (Grishnákh)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Just one bite of Hobbit flesh"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

He was the leader of his troops, sent by the Great Eye to ensure that the traitor wizard and his Uruk-hai didn't get their hands on the Ring they suspected one of the halflings carried. That was why he pushed for the deaths of the two captured; it absolutely could not fall into anyone else's hands and for as long as they were alive they were a threat. And if they also happened to be tasty then that was an added bonus. But the stuck up leader of the Uruks wouldn't even allow him just one bite of Hobbit flesh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to ElfMarinade (Guest) from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	36. Pride (Isildur)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Pride comes before a fall"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

When his father fell he used the broken sword to fell their enemy. The Ring of power now in his grasp, he felt safe and secure. The half elf knew it was still corrupt and dangerous, but he refused to listen, claiming it as his own. In time he forgot that it had contained some of the Dark Lord's power, or maybe he just thought (arrogantly) that he had mastered it. This was proved incorrect when it betrayed him, leaving him open to the arrows of his pursuers and teaching him the hard way that pride comes before a fall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	37. Pretty (Gandalf)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Works of art"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

Even in the darkest of times, light could still be found if one knew where to look. It was this light that he brought to the innocent Hobbits in their sheltered world as fire and sparkles shot into the air, aided by his magic, of course. The younglings would follow the butterflies as they danced in the firelight while the older ones would look at the large explosions, oohing and ahhing as though they too were children again, causing him to muse that even though the times might be dark, he could still provide light with his works of art.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	38. Friend (Radagast)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Friend to all living creatures"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

Brown was his colour, and it was a colour he liked very much. Not the white that shone above all the rest, nor the grey that lurked in the shadows, but the earthy brown that cared for anything that needed it. His preference went to animals, rather than the peoples that inhabited this earth, because they didn't have a voice with which to change the world. Let the others of his order deal with the loud ones – he would care for all that needed it, using poultices and enchantments where necessary, because he was a friend to all living creatures.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	39. Song (Goldberry)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Take a sad song and make it better"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

She was the daughter of the river and as such it made sense for her to have a beautiful voice, much as the flowing of a river is melodic. But as the world aged it was threatened because there was so much darkness now encroaching on the world that she had long dwelt in with only the Eldest for company. Her long lasting companion would look after the physical world while it was her job to keep the darkness at bay, and so she would listen to the wind so she could take a sad song and make it better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	40. Love (Estella)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Boys tease the girl they love"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

He was one of her brother's best friends, and heir to one of the larger Hobbit families. She never thought he'd notice her, at least, not in the way she wanted. He treated her like any other girl, at first, but then the smiles would become more mischievous and there would be laughter in his tone whenever he spoke to her. She noticed a similar phenomenon with one of her friends. Laughter in the voice and a twinkle in the eye as a joke was made. It'd taken her a while to remember that boys tease the girl they love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	41. Kin (Théodred)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Would have been king"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

He liked his family, was proud to call the king his father, and the orphans his cousins. One shone brightly through the dark times – more a sister than a cousin – while the other stood strong, prepared to defend their country however necessary – more a brother than a cousin. Of course, the one thing that set him apart from them was that he was the heir to the throne and as such was expected to act differently. The ambush by orcs – orcs of their ally no less – put an end to his short life when otherwise he would have been king.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	42. Endurance (Legolas)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The darkness stays with you"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

The other elven havens never ceased to amaze him when he visited. Neither of them were constantly fighting, guarded as they were by their Rings of Power. Perhaps that was why he was chosen to go on the Quest, as opposed to an elf from elsewhere, because he was already exposed to the darkness and knew how to resist it. The silky song of the Ring had no hold on him, because he was happy with his lot. It was all he'd ever known, and even if they succeeded it would still be there, because the darkness stays with you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Evania Awristeta from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	43. Sail (Celebrían)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "She found hope as she sailed away"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

A fateful attack was all it took to shatter her. Her sons saved her and her husband healed her but not even they could put her back together. The decision was easy for her, but she could see the grief as they took her to the Grey Havens, where she would board a ship that would take her away from them. Once the voyage was underway she felt the magic of her people soothing her mind and she realised that it wasn't really goodbye, because she would see them again. With that thought she found hope as she sailed away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	44. Cruelty (Mouth of Sauron)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He delighted in their grief"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

He made it his mission to prove to the mortals why, exactly, they had failed to defeat those they opposed. A shiny shirt, made by the dwarves, and a blade, made by the elves, taken from a spy was all it took. It disappointed him to see the wizard snatch them away with little emotion, but the small rat with them more than made up with it with his clear anguish, and the men, elf and dwarf with them failed to truly hide their feelings. Their sorrow was almost palpable and it energised him as he delighted in their grief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Alex Hollister from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	45. Carer (Gilraen)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Mother of hope"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

When her husband died, leaving his fate in the tiny hands of their young son, the only thing she could do was beg the hospitality of the elves, who welcomed them with open arms and renamed her boy in their own language, reflecting everything that rested on his shoulders in such a way that the young boy did not realise the deeper meaning. She watched him as he played innocently with his 'brothers', not realising that the twins were preparing him for his heritage. She died before he accepted his fate, but she would always be the mother of hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	46. Choices (Elladan/Elrohir)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Have to choose their own fate"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

Growing up with the world threatened by shadows, they always thought that they would die fighting in battle, defending their home and family from the encroaching darkness. They never gave the idea that they might survive the upcoming war any thought, so when the Ring was finally destroyed, after an Age of suffering, they were at a loss. Should they accompany their father and the other Ring Bearers to the Undying Lands, or should they stay with their sister to comfort her when her mortal husband died? They had never thought that they would have to choose their own fate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	47. Future (Eldarion)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Future king of Middle Earth"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

He grew up with tales of valour from the time before his birth, when the throne was empty and his father just a ranger in the wilderness hiding from his fate. He decided at a young age that he would never fight it the way his father did, knowing that the threat had gone, with only small pockets of evil to threaten him. His mother had the powers of his grandfather, and proclaimed a peaceful existence. Knowing his fate, he decided to grab it with both hands and not let go, because he was the future king of Middle Earth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	48. Dim (Witch-King)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Died because of his own dim sightedness"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

Power was the one weakness of the human race. They had their strength –stubbornness– but when power beyond what they already had was offered it would take a strong man indeed to refuse it. He wasn't strong. The ring that sat innocently on his finger was a beautiful sight, enough to make him forget who had gifted it to him. The forgetfulness was his undoing as the light around him began to fade and he was trapped for all eternity in a half-life, bound to the orders of his master, all because he died because of his own dim sightedness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	49. Commitment (Arwen)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Wedlock"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

In her mind, she had pledged herself to him years ago, when he was still young before he'd headed off into the wilderness upon learning of his inheritance. She had kept this pledge, despite the many young suitors that had considered asked for her hand, and her father telling her over and over again that only death would come of it. He'd known before she'd said anything – as had her brothers and grandmother. She refused no matter how much they tried to make her sail and finally her father relented, leading to what she had always wanted; her mortal wedlock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to sara (Guest) from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	50. Children (Finduilas)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Loved her children more than life"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

Both her sons were equally dear to her and she wished her husband viewed them as equals as well, but he held the elder of the two up high on a pedestal, spending all his time with him and neglecting the younger, with whom she would sit for hours on end, telling him tales of the elf for which she was named, and the ancestry of the leader of her people. The white stone of the city was too much for a young woman from the wilderness but even though she withered she still loved her children more than life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	51. Home (Thorongil)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Duty comes first"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

As he travelled, he often wished for the soothing comfort of the elven haven he had grown up in. Men were so loud, so brash, impatient and, worst of all, warmongering. He joined the armies of those that he would one day rule, obeying the commands of both the grandfather of the Man he would one day travel with and the father of the king he would one day fight alongside. He'd find people that were as unhappy as he, cementing the realisation that one day, no matter his wishes, he would have to become king because duty comes first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Thorongirl (Guest) from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	52. Continuity (Glóin)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "His time had passed"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

The summoning of the Council felt both the same and different to when he and his kin had gathered in a small Hobbit hole and coerced its occupant to be their burglar. The same, because it planned a quest, but different because there was no much needed light-hearted banter to break up the seriousness of it all. The innocent ring before them needed destroying, and he knew even before his old friend volunteered that it would be up to the next generation to finish what theirs had started. His son was chosen and he accepted that his time had passed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts are welcome (Theme, Character, Prompt) - no OCs please!
> 
> Tsari


	53. Confidence (Faramir)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Always second best"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

Whenever he was with his men, he always felt capable of holding his head up high. With them at his back he had no qualms about taking on an army using guerrilla warfare, because he had complete faith in them, and they in him. It was when he was with his father – regardless of whether or not his brother was present – that his eyes focused on the floor and he spoke only the bare minimum. In turn, his father gave him only orders, never caring and instead comparing him to his brother, reminding him that he was always second best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Thorongirl (Guest) from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	54. Firm (Beregond)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He would not be shaken"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

His city and steward had his complete loyalty – the city before the steward. He put everything he had into the defence of the city he loved, and his beloved captain, who he would follow into hell and back, if it was asked of him. It was, and he stood beside the Halfling to face down all the evil the Black Lands threw at them, following the king his injured captain recognised, and that was enough for him. Even when the troll approached and other men scattered, he stood his ground. While defending what he loved, he would not be shaken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts are welcome (Theme, Character, Prompt) - no OCs please!
> 
> Tsari


	55. Dark (Balrog)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Not all light is good"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

It would spread its black wings and roar, watching the flames dance into the void that surrounded it with glee. A few would catch something flammable and a fire would spew up, pushing away the oppressive blackness that surrounded it. These blazes were more often than not accompanied by screaming, as some pathetic creature suffered a painful death. It loved it. It loved the way that the insignificant creatures would flee to the safety of the void around them, staying far away from the light of the flames. It served as a cruel reminder that not all light is good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	56. Blame (Bilbo)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The first to leave home"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

He watched as his nephew and the other young Hobbits walked off with the big folk, on their way to an adventure he was sure would dwarf his own – if you would pardon the pun – as they carried his small trinket to the fires in the heart of the darkest place on Middle Earth, even darker than the forest with its overgrown spiders. And he felt guilty. After all, it was entirely his fault that the youngsters had to do this. They were paying for his rash decision all those years ago, when he was the first to leave home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Daryldixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	57. Lion (Lothíriel)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Find love in a dutiful marriage"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

The young king of the realm of the horse lords was gifted her hand in marriage, the only daughter of a prince from the White Tower's realm. Her cousin blessed her as he took her betrothed's sister's hand for himself, which she accepted as she should, but from a realm of hunters to a realm of horses made her feel so out of place. To his credit, her husband did all he could to make her comfortable and it was of her own will that she gave him a son as she managed to find love in a dutiful marriage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Daeril Ullothwen from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	58. Close (Elros)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Death brought him closer to his family"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

He had never cared overly much for the longevity of the elves from whom half his blood was descended from. He separated from his brother when one chose to belong to Man as their first king, and the other to the firstborn. He would never describe their relationship as estranged, but there was disapproval directed towards each other for their choices. Living forever never appealed to him, and he had no wish to return to the undying lands. And yet, somewhat ironically, out of everything that it could have done to their relationships, death brought him closer to his family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	59. Seer (Galadriel)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Saw it all"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

She would spend hours just staring into her mirror, taking in what it had to show her and thinking of all the possible outcomes form the various scenarios it showed her. The grey pilgrim fell into shadow as she watched, extinguishing the flames as he did, and Men began to give in to temptation while the elves continued to leave the shores. But her mirror was not her only guide. She could see into the hearts of mortals, and fear seemed to grip the members of the fellowship. Fear and apprehension. The war was long, and she saw it all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	60. Consort (Celeborn)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Stood by his wife through it all"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the RIngs

His powers would never match up to hers, even when she wasn't assisted by her Ring, so he helped in the ways that he could. He listened to her when she needed to tell someone about what she saw in her mirror and he sent people away while she recovered from visions, all the while appearing to be more than he was. From the first wars before the evil behind the Rings to the final destruction of the black lands and all those associated with it, he observed from her protection as he stood by his wife through it all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	61. Gone (Elrond)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Suffered many losses along the way"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

He sat on the ship as he sailed to the Undying Lands and thought about his life in Middle Earth as the half elven. He had fought many wars and, as is inevitable in such events, saw many people, of all races, fall. The one that hit closest to home was, understandably, the premature sailing of his wife, but they would soon he reunited. It was the others – his daughter, who was alive and well, and the mortals, that would never sail – that he would never see again. They had won the war, but suffered many losses along the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	62. Strong (Faramir)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Strength is sometimes hidden"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

His brother was the powerful one. Everyone thought it – everyone said it – and he was content to agree with them. His brother had the charisma to lead all their armies to the Black Gates, if it was required, what it took to take over the role of Steward when the time came. It was when he died that they were shaken to the core. Suddenly he had to be the charismatic one – the one men would follow into certain death; the one that would become Steward. He couldn't believe that he already had it, forgetting that strength is sometimes hidden.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	63. Identity (Glorfindel)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He was two people"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

Some lauded him as the destroyer of the beast of flames, others thought he was merely a descendant of the one who did. Even he did not know for certain which it was as dreams mingled with memories until he could no longer tell them apart. Sometimes it would feel real as he imagined his blade smiting the beast with a body of fire and shadow, and other times it would be little more than an inkling nudging at the back of his mind, like a dream mostly forgotten in the waking light. It felt like he was two people.


	64. White (Saruman)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Easily blemished"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

The plainness of his robes nagged at him as he hid in his tower of obsidian, determined to never emerge as he controlled his own creations – elves mutilated beyond all recognition and beyond the limits of madness – to do his bidding for him. It annoyed him so much that he changed it, instead donning robes of every colour, save the one of purity. It was a colour that revealed all, every stain and every tear, and provided the background for greatness, but never claimed it for itself. It fit him all too well as, like him, it was easily blemished.


	65. Alarm (Éothain)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Alert his king to the trouble brewing"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

He watched the fire approaching as it jumped from thatched roof to thatched roof and knew what his mother was planning, even before she led him and his sister to the giant horse that he was not supposed to ride. The horse moved as his sister cried. They couldn't stop. At any other time, the golden hall would have been a magnificent sight to behold, but all it gave him was a sense of relief as he lost his grip and he fell. But he battled on against exhaustion, because he had to alert his king to the trouble brewing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	66. Fatherhood (Aragorn)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Dreams for the future"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

What would it be like, he wondered as he watched his adoptive brothers interact with their lord and father, to have a son of his own? Would he be a fighter like his father, or a healer like his mother? Would he be able to laugh with his child, as he saw sons laugh with their fathers around him, or would duty or death force him away from his own flesh and blood? But above all, would his son be born in the dark, or would he wait until the shadow had passed, like his other dreams for the future?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Hope'sFace from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	67. Orchestrate (Círdan)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Orchestrated his people leaving"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

A sacred ring sat upon his finger and with it he could see through the darkness, to the light that would be passed on from the elves to the men as the time of the firstborn waned. He knew that they would, eventually, wish to return home, away from the forever tainted land, so he gave them a way as he built ship after ship and ferried his race, in small numbers as they made their choices, to the undying lands. He was known for many things, but the one he preferred was how he carefully orchestrated his people leaving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	68. Delight (Arwen)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "And her heart soared"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

She had always known that he would not fall into temptation; it was with no small sense of satisfaction that she watched as her love pledged himself to his people in the way a king should, the simple yet elegant crown now perched upon his – one in a blue moon – tamed locks of hair. She had fallen in love with the ranger of the wild, rugged and looking to conceal himself in the shadows, but her feelings were no less for this regal being that stood in front of her. He had come into his destiny and her heart soared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Hope'sFace from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	69. Valiant (Gil-galad)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Fell in the battle for freedom"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

The threat of the darkness was not one that he took lightly, as he persuaded different races to band together against it. With the firstborn at his back, and the king of men at his side, he led the charge against the iron clad evil that awaited them on the slopes of the fell mountain. With his famed spear clenched tightly in one fist, he felled many before daring to take on the monster himself. The battle was hard, but the blistering heat that came from the one he fought overcame him and he fell in the battle for freedom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	70. Watched (Ecthelion)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Watched his son's decline begin"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

The jealously his son directed towards his most trusted advisor was not lost on him, even if he wished it wasn't so. Even as he followed the advice and sent the mysterious man to destroy the enemies of his people he could tell that his son would not give the man the respect he should. He didn't know why his son bore such a grudge, although the logical guess would be because he spent more time with the man than his own flesh and blood. It was too late to persuade him and so he watched his son's decline begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	71. Fair (Elfwine)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He was a fair king in his own right"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

From his birth through to his death, he never saw the horrors of war veterans had described to him in his youth, nor those depicted in writing and song by the elves that visited, often on their last journey before leaving. Perhaps that was why he was not afraid to listen to anyone that requested his ear. The peace that accompanied his reign never gave him the chance to prove himself in conflict – to prove that he had the charisma to be followed into carnage and almost certain death – but nonetheless he was a fair king in his own right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	72. Harm (Legolas)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "His realm saw more loss than any other"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

After the war was, after an age, finally over, he returned to the gloomy forest that had been his home. The shadow was lifting but all the new light revealed was the devastation his people had suffered from what had felt like an eternity of struggling for survival. It was strange to not have to keep a guard up for the foul beasts that would ensnare any unwary elf, and he realised that this was what freedom felt like. But even the lack of monsters could not hide the sorrowful fact that his realm saw more loss than any other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to fanfictionaddict2301 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	73. Knew (Erestor)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Saw the despair of unmaking the One Ring"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

It was folly, he called the moment it became apparent that those supposedly older and wiser than he intended to go deep into the Black Lands themselves in order to destroy the artefact, as opposed to hiding it away where it could not be found. He foresaw far less problems if they hid it with the male with the power to oppose all the darkness of the world, if he so chose to. The problems with the plan of walking to the heart of evil seemed far worse to him, as he saw the despair of unmaking the One Ring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	74. Life (Arathorn)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Had a short but happy life"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

Living as a ranger in the wilds was a simple existence, and he embraced it whole-heartedly. Fighting and killing the evil that came near, and protecting the innocents that couldn't guard themselves from the unrelenting onslaught that pressed against them, despite the lack of apparent coherency within their ranks. Being the leader meant that his life had a few more complexities thrown in; he liked to ignore any that had no direct relevance to that day's adventures. The highlight was undoubtedly his marriage, and then the birth of his son. He died young, having had a short but happy life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	75. Dedication (Gilraen)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Married for love"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

Her world was full of fighting and loss as they drove back whatever latest evils threatened the peace, but there was always light to counteract it – if there was not, her people would have fallen into darkness long ago – and for her that was her family. Her husband led their people with a fair head and caring heart and she was proud to stand by his side, binding up the wounds that he sometimes sustained and keeping their home safe from the shadows that threatened. Their son was a gift she was glad to give him, having married for love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	76. Destroyed (Glorfindel)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Destroyed the shadow's flame"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

The heat was blistering – he could feel his weapons burning intensely in his hands. A blazing whip came down and he dodged, previous experience telling him that that was the wiser move. Black leathery wings fanned the flames even hotter and he was forced to retreat. The beast was feared for a reason as he continued to evade the attacks. No-one had ever faced it and lived, and without a miracle that was the fate that awaited him, too. His mind went blank, unable to recall what happened, and his next memory was that he had destroyed the shadow's flame.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	77. Hard (Aragorn)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Let her go"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

He loved her, and it was for that reason that he considered what was best for her, and not what he wanted. If she stayed with him she would die and that was the last thing he would wish upon the elves' evenstar. A star like her should burn forever and that was why he told her that she should go with her people, to be reunited with her mother again and continue to light up the worlds of everyone she met, for the rest of time. It was the hardest decision he ever made, but he let her go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Hope'sFace from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	78. Father (Thranduil)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "His son ended the hatred between elves and dwarves"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

Being a king was a demanding job, and it meant that he couldn't spent the time he desired with his own family. His child grew up as a soldier, not a prince; there was no choice in this shadowed world. That did not mean he was not proud when his son informed him that he had been chosen to represent their race on the expedition that would either doom them forever more, or rid them of the shadow that hung over them. He believed they would succeed, but couldn't believe that his son ended the hatred between elves and dwarves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DaylDixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	79. Déjà vu (Arwen)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Resembled her in all matters"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

She was not the first elf to fall in love with a mortal, although she always felt that she paled in comparison to the beauty of her predecessor, both in looks and in acts. Love made a female strong, whatever their race, but it was the elf maidens that proved it with their willingness to sacrifice everything, if only she could stay with her mortal man until he died. She would gladly follow hers into death, sacrificing her long years of immortality for the short ones of love. She was likened to the other, and resembled her in all matters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DarylDixon'sgirl1985 from ff.net for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	80. Paranoid (Éothain)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "If they could be trusted"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

The three beings leaping out from the ground, like snakes he thought negatively, made no sense to him. An elf, a dwarf and a man all clad in the same outfits made him suspicious, especially with the lies his people had been being fed by a certain wizard for years. It had come to the point where everything outsiders said was a lie and he protested loudly when the horses of his deceased colleagues were handed over to these people. The elf wanted to ride bareback and as he watched them ride off he wondered if they could be trusted.


	81. Mushrooms (Maggot)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Keeping the thieves away"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

They were by far his most important crop, due to the love for them held by his people. Warm and steaming, they were perfect to nibble on, or put in a stew they added the perfect flavour and texture. Of course, it was no secret that he grew them, and it was for that purpose that he had his three hounds – vicious, especially when faced with repeat offenders. They'd sniff out any Hobbit-folk that were putting their grubby little mitts where they shouldn't and seeing them off. It seemed that he spent most of his life keeping the thieves away.


	82. Venom (Shelob)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The doom of them all"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

It was her lair long before the area around it was inhabited and changed by other creatures, for whom she did not care. Provided prey still wandered into her webs, so thoroughly ensnared that they never had a chance of escape, upon which she could gorge herself at her leisure, she permitted the creatures to stay there. In fact, the number of unfortunates within her caverns increased – it was rare for any significant time to pass without finding at least one new one within her silk – and she relished in their fear, for she was the doom of them all.


	83. Trinket (Tom)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Make a pretty present"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

Delicate little finds were things that he often came across as he wandered his territory, teasing the trees and other life within his abode. Whenever he found one, he'd pick it up with a little song, to please his fair companion to whom he would then gift it. Some were more valuable than others, although value changes with priorities – rarely did something last long in his interest before he grew bored of it. The little golden ring he spied as it wandered through his land was another such passing fancy as he wondered if it would make a pretty present.


	84. Betrayed (Déagol)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Killed for it"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

It was that ring's fault, with its golden shine and subconscious voice that whispered to him to pick it up and keep it. Or maybe it was the big pike that pulled him into the water that was to blame, because if that had never happened then he wouldn't have found the thing. But whoever's fault it was, it twisted his cousin beyond all recognition the moment he set eyes upon it. He doesn't know if it was the greedy look or something else that prompted him to refuse the other, but he never expected to be killed for it.


	85. Medicine (Uglúk)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The best stuff was always the bitterest"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

He knew that the Halfling was exaggerating his injuries, but he would take no chances as he wrapped the head wound with the cleanest cloth he could – still grimy, but it did the job well enough. Why the leader was attending personally to the prison was simple – he didn't trust anyone under his command, and definitely not their bow-legged companions from the Black Lands, to keep their word and not harm him. To finish his rough ministrations, he also forced a remedial concoction onto the prisoner, the gagging and choking not bothering him. The best stuff was always the bitterest.


	86. Apple (Bill)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Rotten to the core"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

It became a little game, of sorts, as he tossed fruit at the Hobbits, and they tossed it back with far better aim. They were fresh, the ones he threw, and more often than not it was the same apples that were returned, slightly bruised from where they had made contact with his face but still edible, never the less. The Hobbits returned in glory – his contact had filled him in on all the details, and he missed their simple rivalry of throwing fruit. Now they threw weapons more dangerous than fruit because they thought him rotten to the core.


	87. Popular (Lobelia)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Finally loved"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

The reputation of her and her husband, and later her son as well, was never a positive one. She didn't know what they had done to deserve it, but the Hobbits seemed to be enamoured with her eccentric family member, so perhaps he was spreading not so kind things about them. They never asked for anything that wasn't their right. It was their curse and she grew used to it as the years went by. But despite that, she never took any nonsense and when the men invaded, she fought back. She never thought that would make her finally loved.


	88. Wrong (Samwise)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Slinker or Stinker"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

He didn't agree with his master's decision to untie the wretched creature they had found. The knot had been fairly loose – he had tied and checked it himself, managing not to strangle the screamer with it the whole time – and it was only securing his ankle. There was nothing wrong with it, aside from the thing's screaming. But his master had chosen to trust the creature, so he had no choice but to let it go free. That didn't mean he trusted it though, always keeping an eye on it regardless of whether it was acting like Slinker or Stinker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the gap. Life got in the way, a lot, but hopefully regular updates will resume (but I'm going to need prompts because I don't have time to think them up myself – I have none at the moment so I really need them!).
> 
> Thanks for reading!  
> Tsari


	89. Spirit (Belladonna)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Foster adventure on her son"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

Her penchant for curiously investigating lesser known areas of her home was of little surprise to her family. They had always been the odd ones, although she perhaps explored more than most, and the rest of the hobbit folk slowly got used to their eccentricity. Eventually, she managed to find a sensible male and settled down to care for her family, never considering that her curiosity might be inherited, not to the extent that it far surpassed her own and brought disgrace to his family name from the sensible folk. She'd never dreamed that she'd foster adventure on her son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to GreyjoyStarkgirl1985 for this one!


	90. Glory (Théoden)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Gone out in a blaze of glory"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

All he ever wanted was to be a successful king, managing to keep his lands and people. He counted himself as lesser than his forebears, and felt confident in the knowledge that his descendants would also surpass him. This notion was reinforced as he failed to protect them, watching men and horses falling side by side on the battlefield, all because of his own weakness. He never knew that, as he died, crushed by his own faithful steed in battle with a creature of evil, was that he was always considered to have gone out in a blaze of glory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to GreyjoyStarkgirl1985 for this one!
> 
> Tsari


	91. Fate (Ring)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Move by fate alone"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings

It had no hands to push things, nor did it have legs to run. All it had was its plain gold looks, marred only when the heat of the flame revealed the inscription that it bore, and the dark magic concealed within it, courtesy of its maker's soul inside. But its evil was so pure that all it needed was its quiet tongue, the whispering not unlike those of the leaves dancing on the boughs of their trees. To that soft voice, enticing and gentle, fell civilisations. It needed no physical strength, not when it could move by fate alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to GreyjoyStarksgirl1985 for this one!
> 
> Tsari

**Author's Note:**

> Prompts are welcome (Theme, Character, Prompt) - no OCs please!
> 
> Tsari


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